OTHER VOICES

Lessons for a teacher: Be memorable, relevant

Published: Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, February 15, 2013 at 6:09 p.m.

I am so honored to be selected as a Golden Apple teacher. As you can imagine, I’ve been thinking a lot about apples lately.

We are probably all aware that the apple represents knowledge. That’s what makes it such a great symbol for educators. Yet, there is really more to the apple that applies to education.

My passion and background is in the subject of environmental geography, which is a field that looks at how plants and animals occupy the space of the earth. Now, if we look at the apple through this lens, some other really cool metaphors start to appear.

The old expression, “as American as apple pie,” is sort of misleading. You see, the apple is not American at all, it is actually Asian; it’s from the forests of Kazakhstan. Its popularity here started with the American frontiersman. They desired the juice of the apple — but they did not want that innocent sweet beverage that we serve to kids, they wanted hard cider.

There was one man in particular who was responsible for spreading apples across the American frontier, and that was John Chapman, or Johnny Appleseed. Yes, he was a real person and not just Disney’s invention.

As educators, we are the Johnny Appleseeds of knowledge. Our purpose is to sow the seeds of knowledge across the frontier of learning. When we think back on our time in school we probably all have our “Johnny Appleseeds” that shaped and influenced who we are today as citizens and as educators. I know I do. My mother was a fifth-grade teacher. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was a child. I remember seeing gifts to her from students around the house, and these gifts often had personal messages attached to them. The words went far beyond your typical “from Sally, homeroom,” but these kids took the time to personalize a real messages to my mother. I like to think that she had a lasting impact on them. And this is a lesson of teaching I have kept with me: Be a memorable teacher.

Another Johnny Appleseed in my life was a sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Gamble. She sponsored a 4-H club after school that was based on marine biology. One of the things the club did was take Saturday trips to the Florida State Marine Lab. It was a program called Saturday-by-the-Sea. They would take us out on boats, and we would collect research specimens. Our drift nets would bring up a wide variety of life. There were sea cucumbers, cowfish, pufferfish, all kinds of victims for our sixth-grade hands.

From that moment, I was hooked. My passion for nature has never diminished. This was another lesson I utilize as a teacher. Be hands on, and make lessons relevant. Experiences matter. My goal is to create Saturday-by-the-Sea experiences for all of my students.

These apple seeds of knowledge are the tenants of teaching I live by. From my mother, I learned to make an impression and to be an approachable teacher. I saw the results of this very early in my teaching career when one of my sixth-grade girls felt comfortable enough to discuss with me the recent death of her parent from cancer. Now, that’s some heavy stuff for a rookie teacher to respond to. So, I went to my mentor. His words have always stayed with me: “Tim, she chose you.” Experiences such as this are never burdens, they are opportunities for us learn and for us to teach.

The seeds of knowledge that we plant within the minds of our students are unpredictable as to what will actually take root and grow. In fact, not many people realize an interesting detail about the apple. The seed from an apple, when planted, does not guarantee an exact copy of that apple’s genetic traits. The outcome of what grows is unpredictable, and this is a perfect metaphor for us Johnny Appleseeds. Our students may exhibit sweetness in their often thoughtful work. Or, maybe the result is some bitterness because we will not accept mediocrity. And yes (sigh), just like the original use of the apple by the frontiersman, the result may have us enjoying the occasional glass of hard cider at the end of a long week.

But in the end, what matters most is they are left with a thirst for knowledge.

Tim Jones teaches civics and ancient civilizations at Howard Middle School in Ocala.

<p>I am so honored to be selected as a Golden Apple teacher. As you can imagine, I've been thinking a lot about apples lately.</p><p>We are probably all aware that the apple represents knowledge. That's what makes it such a great symbol for educators. Yet, there is really more to the apple that applies to education.</p><p>My passion and background is in the subject of environmental geography, which is a field that looks at how plants and animals occupy the space of the earth. Now, if we look at the apple through this lens, some other really cool metaphors start to appear.</p><p>The old expression, “as American as apple pie,” is sort of misleading. You see, the apple is not American at all, it is actually Asian; it's from the forests of Kazakhstan. Its popularity here started with the American frontiersman. They desired the juice of the apple — but they did not want that innocent sweet beverage that we serve to kids, they wanted hard cider.</p><p>There was one man in particular who was responsible for spreading apples across the American frontier, and that was John Chapman, or Johnny Appleseed. Yes, he was a real person and not just Disney's invention.</p><p>As educators, we are the Johnny Appleseeds of knowledge. Our purpose is to sow the seeds of knowledge across the frontier of learning. When we think back on our time in school we probably all have our “Johnny Appleseeds” that shaped and influenced who we are today as citizens and as educators. I know I do. My mother was a fifth-grade teacher. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was a child. I remember seeing gifts to her from students around the house, and these gifts often had personal messages attached to them. The words went far beyond your typical “from Sally, homeroom,” but these kids took the time to personalize a real messages to my mother. I like to think that she had a lasting impact on them. And this is a lesson of teaching I have kept with me: Be a memorable teacher.</p><p>Another Johnny Appleseed in my life was a sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Gamble. She sponsored a 4-H club after school that was based on marine biology. One of the things the club did was take Saturday trips to the Florida State Marine Lab. It was a program called Saturday-by-the-Sea. They would take us out on boats, and we would collect research specimens. Our drift nets would bring up a wide variety of life. There were sea cucumbers, cowfish, pufferfish, all kinds of victims for our sixth-grade hands.</p><p>From that moment, I was hooked. My passion for nature has never diminished. This was another lesson I utilize as a teacher. Be hands on, and make lessons relevant. Experiences matter. My goal is to create Saturday-by-the-Sea experiences for all of my students. </p><p>These apple seeds of knowledge are the tenants of teaching I live by. From my mother, I learned to make an impression and to be an approachable teacher. I saw the results of this very early in my teaching career when one of my sixth-grade girls felt comfortable enough to discuss with me the recent death of her parent from cancer. Now, that's some heavy stuff for a rookie teacher to respond to. So, I went to my mentor. His words have always stayed with me: “Tim, she chose you.” Experiences such as this are never burdens, they are opportunities for us learn and for us to teach.</p><p>The seeds of knowledge that we plant within the minds of our students are unpredictable as to what will actually take root and grow. In fact, not many people realize an interesting detail about the apple. The seed from an apple, when planted, does not guarantee an exact copy of that apple's genetic traits. The outcome of what grows is unpredictable, and this is a perfect metaphor for us Johnny Appleseeds. Our students may exhibit sweetness in their often thoughtful work. Or, maybe the result is some bitterness because we will not accept mediocrity. And yes (sigh), just like the original use of the apple by the frontiersman, the result may have us enjoying the occasional glass of hard cider at the end of a long week.</p><p>But in the end, what matters most is they are left with a thirst for knowledge.</p><p><i>Tim Jones teaches civics and ancient civilizations at Howard Middle School in Ocala.</i></p>